Nodeport mode is the default mode of operation for the BIG-IP Controller in Kubernetes.
From a configuration standpoint, it’s easier to set up since it doesn’t matter what Kubernetes Cluster Network you use.
In addition, NodePort mode doesn’t have any specific BIG-IP licensing requirements.

You should use cluster mode if you intend to integrate your BIG-IP device into the Kubernetes cluster network.

Important

OpenShift users must run the BIG-IP Controller in cluster mode.

Cluster mode requires a Better or Best license that includes SDN services and advanced routing.
While there are additional networking configurations to make, cluster mode has distinct benefits over nodeport mode:

You can use any type you like for your Kubernetes Services.

BIG-IP system can load balance directly to any Pod in the Cluster, which means:

When thinking about how to integrate your BIG-IP device into the cluster network, you’ll probably want to take into account what you have to do manually vs what the BIG-IP Controller takes care of automatically.
In general, the manual operations required occur far less frequently than those that are automatic.
The list below shows common operations for a typical Kubernetes cluster, from most-frequent to least-frequent.

Add or remove Pods from an existing Service, or expose a Service with Pods.

Add or remove a Node from the Cluster.

Create a new Kubernetes Cluster from scratch.

The BIG-IP Controller always manages BIG-IP system configurations for Pods automatically.
For Nodes and Clusters, you may have to perform some actions manually (or automate them using a different system, like Ansible). [2]
Take these into consideration if you’re deciding how to set up your cluster network, or deciding how to integrate the BIG-IP Controller and a BIG-IP device into an existing cluster.

Important

BIG-IP platforms support several overlay networks, like VXLAN, NVGRE, and IPIP.
The manual steps noted in the table apply when integrating a BIG-IP device into any overlay network, not just the examples shown here.